WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The leader of Poland’s Catholic Church has come under a wave of condemnation by appearing to suggest that children are partly to blame for being sexually abused by priests.

Archbishop Jozef Michalik, head of Poland’s influential Episcopate, was commenting this month on revelations about Polish pedophile priests. A child from a troubled family, Michalik told reporters, “seeks closeness with others and may get lost and may get the other person involved, too.”

The words triggered an immediate uproar — one Michalik tried to stamp out the same day by apologizing and saying he had been misunderstood.

He had not, he said, meant to suggest that child victims were in any way responsible. But the damage was done.

Ordinary citizens joined prominent politicians in expressing outrage, and intense debate continues more than two weeks later. The media pointed out that Michalik had supported a parish priest convicted in 2004 of child sex abuse, and one of the priest’s victims said she was horrified by Michalik’s latest remarks.